Can anybody tell me what rear end gear ratio would be best for a street/strip car? I have a 2001 Z28 auto. Also, what are the advantages to putting gears in a car? What are the disadvantages? I've heard you lose some top speed when you switch to a numerically higher ratio. Also, will my fuel economy be affected in any way? Thanks for any input.

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Black 2001 Z28 Auto
Mods: Borla full cat exhaust, SLP ram air, SLP 160 Thermostat, SLP smooth bellows, MTI lid
Best 1/4: 13.469 @ 105

 

It comes down to what you plan on doing to your car in the future. If you keep it to heads/cam then I would do 4.10s. If you have a blower, then go with a max of 3.73's. 4.10s at that point will be way too much at the track. With a car with all bolt ons and heads/cam..then 4.10s will be a serious threat from light to light. MPG isn't significantly affected. I know of several cars with heads/cam and nitrous and 4.10s.

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Eric Cuaresma - CamaroZ28.com Sponsor!
President/Co-owner of Dynamic Motorsports, LLC (DMS)
"Leaving the competition behind..."

Website: http://www.dynamicmotorsports.com

Email: eric@dynamicmotorsports.com

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WE WORK TOWARDS HELPING YOU, NOT TOWARDS MAKING MONEY!

 

Watch out going 4.10's with an auto.The M6's have an extra couple of gears that allow them to go with higher gears.I think a 3.42 or 3.73 is high enough for an A4.I plan on keeping my 3.23's until they explode.Speaking of exploding,smaller (numerically) gears are usually stronger than higher gears Good luck.
Kevin

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1998 Black Z28 A4
-------1/8-------
8.584 @ 83.64 MPH
Taylor 10.4mm wires,!EGR,!FRA,SLP Lid,MAF Ends,Manual Fan Switch,and Dynomax Cat-back

BMR STB and Sub-frame Connectors

Pics

 

oops..I didn't realize he had an auto. Don't go 4.10s with an auto. Either do 3.73's or 3.42's using the same principles described in my earlier post...

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Eric Cuaresma - CamaroZ28.com Sponsor!
President/Co-owner of Dynamic Motorsports, LLC (DMS)
"Leaving the competition behind..."

Website: http://www.dynamicmotorsports.com

Email: eric@dynamicmotorsports.com

- A performance company by performance enthusiasts FOR performance enthusiasts!

WE WORK TOWARDS HELPING YOU, NOT TOWARDS MAKING MONEY!

 

as has been said go with at most 3.73's. a friend of mine went 11.6 sec in the 1/4 at almost 120mph in an A4 with 3.42's on just motor with heads and cam. yes you will lose some top end speed but how often do you drive at 160 mph on the street. the top end speed factor means nothing in a daily driven F-body because you almost never get close to hitting your top speed. wait a minute let me back up a bit, do you have a speed limiter? if your car did not come with Z rated tires you may have a speed limiter and if so you will hit that much quicker that before with a gear swap of course with reprogramming the speed limiter can be basically removed.

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2000 Sebring Silver Camaro SS
Mods? Well...yes, enough mods to have MAD horsepower.
More mods to come? Well..yes, working on achieving INSANE horsepower.
Dyno as of 7/03/02 382hp and 362torque.
Car has gone a best of 12.64@111.67mph with a 60' of 2.15
http://camaroz28.cardomain.com/id/scottss2658

 

I went from 3.23s to 3.73s. really didn't do anything for my ETs at all. I gained some MPH at the top end but lost some mph on the short end.

What it did do is make my 60s a lot more consistant and therefore my times more consistant. It also has more punch from a roll on a the freeway.

Quite frankly on an A4, unless you doing a lot of bracket racing where the consistancy is important, I wouldn't sink the money into gears, other than for the fun factor.

I would recommend spending the $$ on a converter - a lot more fun factor than gears as well as dramatic gains in the 1/4.

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'01 Mystic Teal Z28
A4/3.23/Leather/T-Tops
Mods List Here

12.38/110.72/1.74 60'
325 rwhp/341 rwtq
www.MysticZ28.com

NorCal LS1/LT1

"To play it safe is not to play"

 

STALL CONVERTER
3.73

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//BLACK 99 SS//M-6//T-Top//TR 224/224 .561/.561 112LSA//CNC Stage 2 Heads 2.08"Intake-1.60" Exhaust Valves//Volant Cold Air Induction//BBK 80mm Throttle Body//SLP Stage 1 Suspension Kit// Powerslut Rotors//Hawk Pads//Mosser 12 bolt-4.10 Gears//SPEC Stage 3 Clutch//ASP Underdrive Pulley//Lingenfelter Aluminum Driveshaft//BMR Sway Bars-Lower Controll Arms-Panhard Rod-Track Pak-Strut Tower Brace//Taylor Wires-NGK plugs//HPP 3-160 Stat//Skip Shift Eliminator//B&M Ripper Shifter//SLP LT Headers-SLP ORY No Cats//Borla Cat Back//Dynomax Bullit//ECT...

 

Street racing on stock tires = 2.73
Street racing with drag radials = 3.42



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2001 Pewter Z28 Hardtop auto with a 2.73 gear
The factory freak
COMPLETE MOD LIST:
Whisper Lid w/ K&N filter, DynoMax bullet muffler dumped, Gutted cats, Free air mod, Stock aluminum D.S. (Mine had steel), !MAF screen, !front swaybar, !rear seats

Best ET: 12.59
Best mph: 111.23
Best 60FT on stock tires, stall and
gear: 1.88

2000 Pewter SS 6-speed
Basic bolt-ons, Eibachs & Koni's
Best ET: 13.26
Best MPH: 109.7
Best 60FT: 2.15 (Nittos)

 

I would say just stick with a 3.23 if thats what your car came with, save your money and get a converter they will make the most dramatic difference in your car. If your car has 2.73 gears I would upgrade them to a 3.42, the 2.73 is murder if you go to the track. My buddy who has a stock C5 A4 runs like 13.8s and 14.0s cause of that crap gear. I run around 13.5-13.6 and both our cars have almost nothing done to them.

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98 Red Z28 A4 bought on 4/02/02.
Flowmaster, K&N Filter, Flowtech Dump pipe.
Best 1/4: 13.554 at 102.62

 

I don't want to bore you but they are right about the converter, first. It IS A MUST. See my sig. After that you may or may not want gears. It depends on how much you like buying tires

later


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2000 Z28-Deep Maroon
Mac Headers With Off-Road Pipe
Vigilante Torque Converter 2800 stall 2.5 STR
Hooker 3" catback w/cut out & McCord
FTRA Kit
Dynamic Motorsports SFC's